Beau is Afraid director Ari Aster calls Joaquin Phoenix a prince: 'He's the greatest'

Ari Aster and Joaquin Phoenix recently attended the premiere of their latest film, Beau Is Afraid. Aster is popular for his horror flick Hereditary, which is one of the biggest hits from A24. He followed up the film with Midsommar, which featured actress Florence Pugh and received rave reviews as a psychological thriller. 

While speaking at the premiere of Beau Is Afraid, Aster sang praises of the actor. He added that when he first met him, he realised that he just had to find a way to work with the actor. Aster also called Phoenix, “a prince.” 

“You get on your hands and knees and beg. He’s the best. He’s the greatest. He’s the prince. And those eyes. He could be so naked, so exposed, and he’s funny," said Ari Aster. He added, "He’s a funny guy. It’s when I first saw ‘I’m Still Here’ that I knew I needed to work with this guy.”

Ari Aster on Joaquin Phoenix’s commitment to work 

The Hereditary director revealed that Joaquin Phoenix is always committed to his work. Aster added that Phoenix’s commitment to the film ended up making a huge difference, as it forced the director to keep pushing for it. He added that working on the film was “a challenge in the best way.” 

“Joaquin is so committed and so engaged that the [film] kept coming back to life, which isn’t to say that it was dead, but it stayed alive in a way that was very, very exciting,” said Ari Aster. He added, “It was a challenge in the best way.”

More on Beau Is Afraid 

Beau Is Afraid features actor Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. Meanwhile, actor Patti LuPone plays the role of his mother. James Gandolfini, who is the son of The Sopranos’ lead Michael Gandolfini, is also appearing in the film in a crucial role. Other stars in Beau Is Afraid are Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Denis Ménochet, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, Armen Nahapetian, Julia Antonelli, Richard Kind and Zoe Lister-Jones.

Beau Is Afraid marks the first project by A24 with a budget as high as $35 million. Phoenix, on the other hand, is currently busy with the shooting of Joker 2. The upcoming film features singer-actress Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.